Reigning MotoGP World Champion set the pace in this morning’s opening free practice session at Brno but only by 0.037s from Jorge Lorenzo while four-tenths of a second covered the top eight riders.
Marquez put in three laps under the 1’57s bracket with a fastest of 1’56.803 while Lorenzo managed two and Dani Pedrosa, on the second Repsol Honda, did the same with a best of 1’56.855 to be 0.015 slower than the Movistar Yamaha man.
Aleix Espargaro bounced into fourth place with his final lap of 1’57.002 to depose Valentino Rossi by 0.063s while Stefan Bradl, who was in second early on, dropped down to sixth place with a 1’57.084 but is still only three-tenths off the pace.
Andrea Dovizioso was the fastest of the Ducatis in seventh but was chased hard by Yonny Hernandez, on the Pramac satellite GP14, who got a tow from Rossi to haul himself into eighth and only 0.021s slower than the works Desmosedici.
Monster Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro was ninth and one place ahead of team-mate Bradley Smith. Ducati test rider Michele Pirro finished ahead of Andrea Iannone while Scott Redding was easily the quickest of the production Hondas and finished ahead of Cal Crutchlow in 13th.
Michael Laverty, on the PBM Aprilia, was 21st and 3.5s behind Marquez while Leon Camier, in his second outing on the Drive M7 Honda, was just a tenth further back.
